


Our New Normal

by PsychedelicatePoltergeist



Series: Lessons In Strength, Friendship and Love [25]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Engagement, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-07-09 04:36:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19881748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychedelicatePoltergeist/pseuds/PsychedelicatePoltergeist
Summary: Two years after the end of the killing game, even after so much time has passed, Kazuichi wonders what kind of future he has in store, and whether or not it's one worth living for.





	Our New Normal

**Author's Note:**

> This is a post-canon fic, and I guess it has some very slight changes compared to how Hope Arc actually ends? Maybe? Idk, but let's consider this an AU just to be safe.

It had taken him a long time to fully appreciate the sound of the crashing waves colliding against the sea, but here and now, sitting cross-legged by the shore beside Fuyuhiko, Kazuichi had decided to welcome the calming sound

Last he’d checked, it was about ten o’clock at night. The full moon cast a silvery glow upon the beach, giving the sea a sparkling, rippling effect that mesmerised him. It was the first hot evening in several months, and he and Fuyuhiko had taken advantage of it by coming out to the beach in nothing but casual T-shirts and shorts. The way the sand, smooth as silk, rubbed against his legs was comfortable and certainly nothing to complain about. Fuyuhiko liked to take walks along the beach at night, especially when he couldn’t sleep, and Kazuichi understood why. Jabberwock Island wasn’t exactly the paradise it’d been in the Neo World Program, but it was a comforting place to be at the best of times. Besides, it was now looking much better than it had previously.

Two years had passed since the five survivors of the Killing School Trip had emerged from the Neo World Program with memories of the killing game intact, but lacking memories of their lives at Hope’s Peak or as active members of Ultimate Despair. After some discussion with Future Foundation, it was decided that these memories would not be retrieved, as the survivors did not want to dwell on the past if they could help it. They only knew what they needed to know, and that was for the best. The same applied to the rest of the Remnants of Despair when they awakened from their comatose states 4-5 months later. If they wanted to believe in hope and move forward towards a brighter future, it was in their best interests to move on from the past. They all wanted to lead lives that were as perfectly normal and stress-free as possible.

Kazuichi looked down at the silver band he wore on his ring finger, then momentarily stole a glance at Fuyuhiko. He then took a moment to examine the scenery, his home -  _ their  _ home for the rest of their lives.

What was normal about this?

Okay, living at a homely, refurbished deserted island with his fiancé and former classmates wasn’t  _ all  _ bad. He’d take this over the hell he’d suffered through in the Neo World Program any day of the week. However, he couldn’t forget that, as a Remnant of Despair, he would never see the world beyond this island ever again. As far as normal society was concerned, he was either dead, or a complete, utter monster. He was grateful that he could be with Fuyuhiko without the fear of stigma or judgement, and yet…

“Hey.” Kazuichi looked up. Fuyuhiko was looking at him, frowning in concern. “You got somethin’ on your mind, right? Spit it out.”

Kazuichi averted his gaze and nervously began to fiddle with the drawstring of his shorts. “I dunno what to make of our future, man. Not sayin’ I ain’t lookin’ forward to the wedding or anythin’, ‘s just... “ He sighed.

“Don’t tell me you’re worried ‘bout Sonia and her baby again.”

Kazuichi looked up. Fuyuhiko’s frown had deepened a little. “I mean… I guess I am, yeah,” he replied slowly. “I get why she’s considerin’ sendin’ the kid overseas and stuff once he’s born… if it were me, I’d think about that, too, but… it’s her  _ kid. _ He should stay with his mom, shouldn’t he?”

“I don’t care what happens with the baby as long as Sonia and Gundam finally fuckin’ agree on a solution,” said Fuyuhiko. “Seriously, I’m fuckin’ sick of ‘em arguin’ all the time.”

“Yeah.” Kazuichi nodded in agreement. He stared wistfully out into the horizon. “Y’know… I’ve always wanted to be a dad. I’ve always thought it’d be pretty cool to have a kid of my own. Even figured it’d be neat if we raised a kid together.” Fuyuhiko shot him a look that plainly expressed his disapproval at the idea of Kazuichi as a father, but he ignored it and continued. “But it’s a selfish wish, right? I know we can’t have a kid anyway even if we wanted to, but if I had a kid… I wouldn’t want him to live this life. I’d want him to live life to the fullest in the outside world, where he’s free. He can get an education, a job… live the successful life we can only dream of…”

Fuyuhiko was quiet for a moment. His eye was narrowed and the tip of his finger rested upon his chin, as though he were contemplating something. He then began to speak in a low voice. “My family used to live by the virtue that you should always succeed where your parents failed and strive to lead a better life than they did. They were determined for each heir of the clan to be better than the last.” He took a lighter and cigarette out of the pocket of his shorts as he spoke, lighting the cigarette and raising it to his lips as he returned the lighter to his pocket. “But that doesn’t just go for big crime boss families like mine, right? Any good parent who really gives a fuck about his own kid would want him to live his best life. I sure as hell don’t want my kid to live at a fuckin’ deserted island like this.”

“But if we had a kid, and we just sent him off to the outside world as soon as we got him, what’s the point of havin’ a kid?” Kazuichi pointed out.

“Look, I don’t see the point in this conversation,” said Fuyuhiko as he took a drag from his cigarette. “Regardless of whether or not we want a kid, we can’t have one. Period. We can’t knock each other up, and there’s no way in hell we’ll ever be able to adopt. That’s prolly for the best.” Holding the cigarette between his fingers, Fuyuhiko adjusted himself so that he was leaning close towards Kazuichi. Their faces had become very close. Kazuichi caught a whiff of tobacco. He noticed that Fuyuhiko’s expression had become very serious - a surefire sign that he truly meant what he was going to say next. “‘Sides, I can’t be fucked to give a shit about anyone else who think they can barge into my life uninvited. My heart only has room for two people who’re still alive right now. Peko-” he leaned even closer, securing his free hand onto Kazuichi’s shoulder to maintain his balance “-and you.”

Kazuichi closed his eyes as their lips met. He shifted slightly so that he knelt on his knees and placed one hand firmly at the back of Fuyuhiko’s head, while the other - the one with the engagement band on his ring finger - clung to Fuyuhiko’s arm. By now, he was used to Fuyuhiko’s lips smelling and tasting like tobacco; in fact, he’d even come to enjoy it. He certainly didn’t mind when Fuyuhiko granted him entry into his mouth, beginning a rough, passionate French kiss between the two.

“Can you ever be assed to brush your teeth before we do this?” Fuyuhiko grumbled as they pulled away.

“Can  _ you  _ ever be assed to quit smokin’?” Kazuichi retorted.

“Shut up. You’re obviously more into it when I’m havin’ a ciggie.”

“Am not!” Kazuichi defiantly crossed his arms and pouted.

Fuyuhiko smirked. “Are too.”

Kazuichi couldn’t hold his sullen look any longer. His lips turned up into a relaxed smile. For just that moment, everything seemed to be okay. For just that moment, the two of them were the only ones in the world that mattered, and the only other thing Kazuichi could see and hear was the vast sea and its crashing waves. But, when his thoughts drifted back to Sonia, Gundam and their dilemma, his smile faded. Even though it’d been two years since his awakening from the Neo World Program, it was still as difficult as ever to fully come to terms with his new future.

This time, Fuyuhiko tackled the problem in an instant once he noticed the look on Kazuichi's face. He looked at Kazuichi with that serious expression again. “Remember what I said, Kazuichi. This-” he gestured towards the sea and the islands “-is our new normal. It has been for two years, and it will be for the rest of our lives. It’s high time you get used to it.”

“But Sonia-”

“-can take care of herself.” He took Kazuichi’s hand and held it firmly with his own. “The baby drama will be dealt with, one way or another.” His expression softened a little. “Gotta be straight with ya, I… I’m gonna be kinda sad if they send the baby away, but… like you said, it’s their kid. It’s none of our business, anyway.”

“But they’re our friends,” Kazuichi insisted. “I wanna help them! I-I wanna be useful to someone!”

Fuyuhiko squeezed his hand a little tighter and ran his finger along the engagement band fitted onto his ring finger. “Let it be, Kazu. The best way to help is to stay out of it.”

“But what else am I s’posed to do with this life?” Kazuichi felt a lump in his throat as he spoke.

Fuyuhiko sighed as he took another drag from his cigarette. He held it halfway in his mouth for a moment as he used his free hand to reach out and tuck a lock of Kazuichi’s rough, knotty, dark hair behind his ear. “First off, you should really do somethin’ ‘bout your hair,” he commented as he took the cigarette back out of his mouth. “Second, you’re already doin’ a shit ton around the island and helpin’ restore the rest of the world. You don’t need to be any more useful than you already are.” He raised an eyebrow. “‘Cept for brushin’ your hair.”

Kazuichi chuckled at that. “Guess you’re right ‘bout that.” He surveyed his surroundings once more. Listening closely, he could make out the faint hooting of an owl nearby. Jabberwock Island looked a lot more put-together than it had when Kazuichi had initially awakened, and it was all thanks to the former Remnants of Despair’s efforts. “I guess… in a way, I’m really lucky to be with you in a place like this.”

“Keep talkin’ like Nagito and I’ll call off our wedding,” said Fuyuhiko.

“I’m serious!” Kazuichi cried. “I mean, it could be worse, right? We’re not in a killin’ game anymore. What we have now ain’t perfect, but as long as I’m with you, I can handle it!”

“Mm.” Fuyuhiko finally released Kazuichi’s hand and started to lean towards him again. “I think you’re right.”

Fuyuhiko didn’t hold back in their kiss - he rarely ever did; sweet, gentle kisses weren’t his forte - but nonetheless, it was slow, passionate and bittersweet as the two boys thought about the long, winding road ahead of them and where it might lead. Kazuichi tried not to think about how differently his pathway to the future would’ve been in a world where he and his friends hadn’t succumbed to despair, instead focusing on the faint taste of tobacco on Fuyuhiko’s lips and the sound of waves crashing against the sea.

They were silent as their lips separated, but the kiss marked an unspoken agreement between them: that, throughout the rest of their maladjusted lives, they would have each other, and that if anything happened to either of them, the other would not be alone. They still had friends by their side, and they couldn’t take them for granted.

After this brief moment of tranquility, Fuyuhiko rose to his feet and extended his free hand toward Kazuichi, clutching his finished cigarette in the other. “Let’s go. It’s gettin’ late.”

“Yeah,” Kazuichi agreed as he stood up and took his fiancé's hand. With renewed hope and anticipation for the future, the two boys walked back to their shared cottage, hand in hand.


End file.
